Address: Spring St and Rushman Dr
The City of Chippewa Falls was organized around two moving bodies of water, the Chippewa River and its tributary, Duncan Creek. Bridges soon became necessary with the rapid expansion of the transportation system in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
By 1891, seven bridges crossed Duncan Creek within the city limits, and one crossed the Chippewa River. This architecturally significant “Rainbow Arch Bridge” is a classic example of the small reinforced concrete bridges, which began appearing around the United States in the 1890s and were built in large numbers in the early 20th Century. The 93-foot single-span Spring Street Bridge is constructed in the typical arch form in which the roadway is suspended from the arch. The concrete floor beams join eight concrete vertical intermediate posts on each side.
It is further characterized by the two decorative balustrade railings and the four original lamp posts that remain intact. This bridge was built in 1916 by the Iowa Bridge Company for $13,950. It was the only Duncan Creek bridge that survived the destructive flood of 1934.